1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a labeling machine. In particular, the present invention relates to a labeling machine with manual operation for applying labels bearing one or more captions, e.g. indications about the products whereon said labels are applied or the prices of the products. In further detail, the present invention is suitable for use in warehouses and/or in any commercial activity, such as department stores, supermarkets, shops and/or the like in which there is a need to affix various types of commercial and/or informational indications.
2. Description of the Related Art
The related art involves manually operated labeling machines that comprise a load-bearing structure, within which is provided a device for feeding a label-holder tape. The label-holder tape is appropriately guided within the load-bearing structure to an area of application of the labels, whereat each label borne by the tape is detached therefrom to be affixed on a respective surface of a package or product of interest.
To allow the advance of the label holder tape within the load-bearing structure, known labeling machines are provided with an appropriate actuating device which pulls the tape downstream of the application area, making it advance towards an area of discharge of the tape without the labels.
Conventional labeling machines are also provided with a device for stopping and/or breaking the tape to enable the application of each label without undesired dragging of the tape. In particular, known labeling machines comprise, between the device for feeding the tape and the area of application of the labels, a series of mechanisms which continuously press the label holder tape against an abutting surface present within the load-bearing structure. In this way, when a label that has been partially detached from the label holder tape is positioned on a destination surface by a combined action of pressure towards said surface and translation of the labeling machine thereon, the label holder tape is maintained in a fixed position, allowing the complete detachment of the label to be applied.
Conventional labeling machines further comprise a control device, usually constituted by a movable element which has an appropriate grip, operatively connected to the actuation device to bring, to the application area, consecutively to each other, the labels borne by the tape. In particular, when the control device is operated manually, the co-operation between the latter and the actuation device intensely drive the label holder tape which, overcoming the blocking forces exercised by the arresting device, advances as described above.
Within the structure is also provided a printing element able to deposit on each label, upstream of the application area, a predefined quantity of ink according to pre-set motifs, whereby the aforementioned commercial and/or informational indications are obtained.
While known labeling machines allow the printing and the satisfactory application of the labels on the packages and/or surfaces of the products of interest, the Applicant has noted that they are not free of serious and detrimental drawbacks, mainly, in relation to the operation and the wear of the arresting device, to the replacement and/or maintenance of one or more components of the printing device, as well as to the wear of the labels and/or of the label holder tape.
In particular, the related art has failed to appreciate that that the constant and continuous pressure of the arresting device on the label holder tape against the respective abutting surface, determines, in the long run, significant problems with the calibration of the components of said device, as well as excessive wear of the mechanical parts in rubbing or rolling relationship, requiring constant interventions to maintain and/or replace one or more components of the arresting device.
This serious detriment also has an impact on the general conditions of the label holder tape and on the labels themselves, which may be structurally compromised, presenting an aesthetically displeasing outside appearance and/or, worse yet, an irregular printing surface whereon the ink used is deposited imprecisely, giving rise to undesired imperfections.
It should also be noted that both the difficulty in accessing the internal areas of the load-bearing structure of known labeling machines, and the difficulty in replacing some components of the printing device, e.g. the inking roller and the like, normally provided, entails and intense maintenance activity, whilst requiring considerable manual skills of the maintenance operator who must, with particular instruments and tools, access the inking roller to extract it from the structure and replace it with another inking roller.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved device that overcomes the detriments Applicants have noted in the conventional field.